While mobile telephones offer convenience and benefits to drivers, they come at the expense of road safety. It has been statistically proven that drivers who are using mobile telephones while operating a vehicle are four times more likely to be involved in an accident. Presently, most mobile telephones require the driver to use one hand to hold the mobile telephone thereby forcing the driver to drive with only one hand. Since the driver is using one hand to hold the mobile telephone and the other hand to hold the steering wheel, shifting a standard shift vehicle or signaling becomes hazardous. In order for the driver to shift gears, the driver must either release the mobile telephone or the steering wheel. Typically, drivers release the steering wheel to shift gears. Driving a vehicle with no hands on the steering wheel is not a preferred method of driving. However, when it comes to signaling, drivers typically do not release the steering wheel or the mobile telephone, drivers just forego signaling. Changing lanes or turning without signaling is a safety concern and can lead to accidents.
Unfortunately, these are not the only problems drivers encounter when operating a vehicle and using a mobile telephone at the same time. Problems also occur when a driver receives a telephone call, the driver has to activate the mobile telephone to receive the call. The driver either takes his eyes off of the road or blindly tries to locate and activate the mobile telephone.
Similar problems also occur when a driver wishes to place a telephone call. To place a call, the driver must locate and activate the mobile telephone. When the driver attempts to dial a telephone number, he must divert his eyes from the road to the mobile telephone to locate the number keys. Whenever a driver must divert his eyes from the road, the driver is risking the possibility of an accident.
In response to these problems, some countries have outlawed the use of non-speaker mobile telephones in vehicles. However, the use of speaker phones solve only some of these problems. Drivers using speaker mobile telephones still have to locate and activate the mobile telephone. In addition, whenever a driver wishes to make a telephone call, the driver must dial the telephone number. To dial a telephone number the driver must divert his eyes from the road to the mobile telephone risking the possibility of causing an accident.
Therefore there is a need to reduce the risk of a driver being involved in an accident when a driver is using a mobile telephone while operating a vehicle.